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Lorenzo Edwards

Published: Monday, February 25, 2013 at 2:43 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 25, 2013 at 2:43 p.m.

As part of its Black History Month coverage, the Star-Banner featured brief stories from five local pioneers in the battle for racial equality.

They included educator Juanita Cunningham, businessman Austin Long, contractor William “Buddy” Vernon and the Rev. Clarence Cotton Sr. and the Rev. Lorenzo Edwards.

Below is an excerpt featuring Lorenzo Edwards.

The consequences of integration

The Rev. Lorenzo Edwards, pastor of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Ocala since 1968, said Ocala's black community of the 1950s and '60s was more vibrant and cohesive than today.

“Everyone knew everyone,” and every parent and teacher had concern for every child, Edwards said.

West Ocala then was a place alive with family businesses like Hub's Dry Goods and Crompton's Store, and entertainment clubs such as the Blue Note, Club Bali and the Brown Derby, where folks met and socialized. He said Saturdays on Broadway was an “all-day affair,” especially for families from the country.

“Now there is some splintering in the community,” he said, noting that the clubs are gone and most commerce is done outside the community because “since integration, patrons don't care where the store is located.”

He graduated from the segregated Howard High School in 1955 and then moved to Newark, N.J., and lived with an uncle and worked at the Ford Motor plant.

Edwards returned to Ocala around 1958 and worked at Camp and Sons meat packing and later Swift Company. He met and married his wife of 55 years, Barbara Ann Clark. The Ocala native served on the Ocala City Council, twice as chairman, was president of the local branch of the NAACP and was dean of Minority Affairs at Central Florida Community College.

Edwards recalls the civil rights era.

“I stood up along with my friends and community for our rights in nonviolent, peaceful protests but I was never physically touched,” Edwards said.

“Rev. Frank Pinkston was president of the local NAACP, and we all looked up to him. He went around the area speaking to residents about knowing and understanding our rights,” Edwards said.

“Some of the black men formed the ‘hunting and fishing club' to act as security guards for Rev. Pinkston,” Edwards said.

Edwards participated in the sit-in protest at McCrory's (formerly on the corner of Magnolia and Southwest Broadway) in 1960. During the sit-ins, black patrons who had been refused service at lunch counters previously took a seat and refused to leave until they were removed or arrested.

Edwards was arrested when he helped pick up trash near one of the protest sites.

<p>As part of its Black History Month coverage, the Star-Banner featured brief stories from five local pioneers in the battle for racial equality. </p><p>They included educator Juanita Cunningham, businessman Austin Long, contractor William “Buddy” Vernon and the Rev. Clarence Cotton Sr. and the Rev. Lorenzo Edwards.</p><p>Below is an excerpt featuring Lorenzo Edwards.</p><p><b>The consequences of integration</b></p><p>The Rev. Lorenzo Edwards, pastor of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Ocala since 1968, said Ocala's black community of the 1950s and '60s was more vibrant and cohesive than today.</p><p>“Everyone knew everyone,” and every parent and teacher had concern for every child, Edwards said.</p><p>West Ocala then was a place alive with family businesses like Hub's Dry Goods and Crompton's Store, and entertainment clubs such as the Blue Note, Club Bali and the Brown Derby, where folks met and socialized. He said Saturdays on Broadway was an “all-day affair,” especially for families from the country.</p><p>“Now there is some splintering in the community,” he said, noting that the clubs are gone and most commerce is done outside the community because “since integration, patrons don't care where the store is located.”</p><p>He graduated from the segregated Howard High School in 1955 and then moved to Newark, N.J., and lived with an uncle and worked at the Ford Motor plant.</p><p>Edwards returned to Ocala around 1958 and worked at Camp and Sons meat packing and later Swift Company. He met and married his wife of 55 years, Barbara Ann Clark. The Ocala native served on the Ocala City Council, twice as chairman, was president of the local branch of the NAACP and was dean of Minority Affairs at Central Florida Community College.</p><p>Edwards recalls the civil rights era.</p><p>“I stood up along with my friends and community for our rights in nonviolent, peaceful protests but I was never physically touched,” Edwards said.</p><p>“Rev. Frank Pinkston was president of the local NAACP, and we all looked up to him. He went around the area speaking to residents about knowing and understanding our rights,” Edwards said.</p><p>“Some of the black men formed the 'hunting and fishing club' to act as security guards for Rev. Pinkston,” Edwards said.</p><p>Edwards participated in the sit-in protest at McCrory's (formerly on the corner of Magnolia and Southwest Broadway) in 1960. During the sit-ins, black patrons who had been refused service at lunch counters previously took a seat and refused to leave until they were removed or arrested.</p><p>Edwards was arrested when he helped pick up trash near one of the protest sites.</p>